@Tariq83 

 

I wasn't talking to you...

@TP-Link_Deco ,

 

At least, for e.g. M4, when in ethernet backhaul mode, it would be nice if channels would be non-overlapping, whether automatically determined or manually. In ethernet backhaul mode, the Decos don't need the wifi to talk to each other and thus channels can be different (should be 1-6-11 for 2.4G).

 

More importantly, channel width selection for 2.4G and 5G should be selectable. A wider channel means more chance for interference and I would prefer a stable connection with lower bandwidth above a fluctuating connection with higher bandwidth.

 

Thanks!

@TP-Link_Deco 

 

well, now I have equipment who cannot handle certain channels (1,2,3,10,11) but according to the manufacturer EVERY router is capable of a manual configuration around channels. 
 And there we are.... I bought 5!! M9plus to have good WiFi at home and so far it is nothing but a disappointment. What a poor way to configure the lot. Self- healing? What a rubbish statement. There are too many factors in technology where it is necessary to make manual modifications. You simple do not have the knowledge to let the router handle everything itself. Also support is very poor here. I think your marketing department is great.  Your tech department is understaffed, not capable and certainly not having a customer mindset. 
fix this!

 

TP-Link_Deco wrote

Hello all, sorry to respond late.

 

We have already noted all of your requests about choosing the wireless channels manually on the Deco system and they have been forwarded to the developers, they will publish new official firmware in the near future, not too long to wait, which will optimize the current channeling picking mechanism, it is suggested to wait for the new updates and confirm if that will help address any of your concerns.

 

I will try to explain why we don't give the Deco administrator the permission to manually choose a channel on the current Deco system, which may not precise but I will try my best:

 

Firstly, we need to clarify that the wireless channels on the current Deco firmware are not manually configurable as Deco automatically selects a 2.4GHz channel to use based on what it sees around it, selecting the channel that has the least interference. The 5GHz channel appears to be configured based on the region the device was manufactured for use in and they are apparently not auto-selected and are definitely not manually configurable.

 

Secondly, we need to reiterate what is the point of having a whole mesh Wi-Fi system in your network. The whole point of mesh networks is to give a seamless, unfettered, and performant experience for wireless networking, and thus a mesh network is "self-configuring" and "self-healing", the network automatically incorporates a new node into the existing structure without needing any adjustments manually by a network administrator and it automatically finds the fastest and most reliable paths to send data. If you change the wireless channel on the Deco nodes manually, it may give you the risk of losing the other Deco nodes and thus ruin your Deco system, you may need to start over again to reconfigure them.

 

What's more, it is not always easy to choose a clear wireless channel in your networks, you may need to test with all of them in order to find one that may be usable. Most importantly, crowded isn’t the same as busy, even though some channel scanning apps tell you one specific channel is busy, they don’t always measure other sources of congestion and interference. Non-Wi-Fi signals (like those from microwaves, Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors, etc.) can all congest a channel but may not show up in a scan. So it’s possible that a channel can appear empty, while it is, in fact, saturated with other kinds of interference. 

 

Last but not least, other mesh systems such as Google Wi-Fi mesh (update here that Netgear Orbi is not the same mesh as Deco, Orbi is more like a router + an RE, so if we misunderstood it previously, we are sorry for that), don't allow users to change the channel manually either, which means when developing a mesh system, our developers have already taken all factors into serious consideration and choose the current one, the current Deco mesh system may not be perfect or even good, but we don't think it's just that awful or nonusable as some of you thought. If we need or we must do this change to allow you to change the channel, it will require a lot of research in the market and it is not that easy just like you said "just open the option", I think most users like you guys should understand it.

 

Hopefully, that answers your question but let us know if you need more details.

@TP-Link_Deco marked as solution????

2 years ago! How do you forward it to tech department? On the back of A turtle?

@RobinV  it's simple they don't care.

 

The official response from tp-link is actually somewhat condescending. TP-link clearly forgot that if a user is smart enough to ask for channel selection then the user is probably not an average user.

 

It doesn't matter if a mesh system is self-healing or not, what people want is a working system which clearly is not or else we wouldn't be all here complaining. The current auto channel selection does not work correctly.

 

I'm an accountnant by profession in the private sector but also a CCNA. If any of my sub-contractor or employee gave me this kind of answer he'd be shown the door real quick.

 

I returned my Deco system this week and got a Veelop system instead, which has auto channel selection but I can also force it to rescan anytime. I can also manually do a channel selection but it is not recommended by Linksys (but the option is there). 

 

So bye and good luck to you all.

@RobinV So true

I have a Atag One thermostate in my home. It only accepts wifi channels 1,6,11 
And my deco uses 9 and there is nothing i can change it! Now my devices cannot find the atag one.. I know very poor design of the atag one, but it would have been so simple to just override the automatic channel id and it was working

 

Sorry to say TP LINK, we have waited long enough for this. 

It makes me soo F angry this is definitly the last time i bought tp link equipement. I will advise friends family to never buy this piece of sh*t hardware

Hey, all:

 

Just to note: the Deco's (probably as decided by the "Main" unit) may choose different channels after a reboot.

 

I just observed that.

 

Yes, it would be nice to have a selected set of channels for it to "initially choose from" for those cases where one has devices with restricted channels.  If the "signal environment" has changed significantly, one could try rebooting the mesh to see if it finds 'better' channels.

@Hami If it could select a channel with least interference, of course that'd be fine with me. The fact is, it is not. I have a Telus modem/router broadcasting at 330 up/280 down, and hard-wired to my main Deco, and wirelessly extends to two other Deco. When I test speed nearby the main Deco, it was a pathetic 50 up/20 down. Apparently there is interference from the next-door neighbor. I rebooted my Decos over 10 times yet it still wouldn't "scan the surroundings and find the best channel to deploy". Every reboot came with a sad speed. When I connect to Telus modem, it is again a healthy 330/280 - the only downside is that the range is not far enough for my detached home. 

 

So no, my Decos aren't that smart and it wouldn't find channels with least interference. But it's OK - at least give us the options to manually find the least interfered channel to use, and I will still be fine with this Deco set.

 

Manual-option already!

 

Also: can we have the function of throttling guest ID? It'll be handy in many applications, thanks.